Climate change activists have stopped traffic in Switzerland and blocked a major route under the Alps demanding urgent action against global warming.
Protesters from the group "Renovate Switzerland" stuck to the surface of the highway around the northern entrance to the Gotthard Tunnel, reports Reuters.
The 17 km long tunnel is one of the main routes connecting northern Switzerland with Italy and is a bottleneck for travelers moving from northern Europe to the south.
The police came to the scene and removed seven protesters, who were holding a banner that said "renovate".
"Renovate Switzerland is back on the streets," the group announced on Twitter.
"This is an appeal to our fellow citizens. Let's demand that the Swiss government finally declares a state of climate emergency," they wrote.
The group said it wants the government to take climate change seriously and rebuild the country's buildings by 2035.
Switzerland is warming twice as fast as the global rate, and its glaciers are melting fast.
In response, the government wants to invest 4,1 billion Swiss francs in building renovations, modernizing transport infrastructure and other measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
Karuna Babajee, a 19-year-old student, said she was afraid to participate in the protest but felt compelled to act.
"I'm doing this because I'm scared and angry that my generation is being sentenced to death," she said.
The police from the Swiss canton of Uri came to the scene after being called and removed the protesters after 30 minutes.
Police told Reuters the road had been cleared and traffic had now resumed under the tunnel.
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